Body armor has been used for centuries to protect areas of the body vulnerable to combative blows and projectiles. While the armor is intended to minimize injuries and fatalities that would otherwise result from such harmful events, the armor must also not interfere with the wearer's ability to carry out his duties with sufficient mobility and dexterity as may be required.
Traditionally body armor has been designed to assist in surviving attacks of known direction and source. For example, the Interceptor Multi-Threat Body Armor System went into production in 1999 and is made by Point Blank Body Armor of Oakland Park, Fla. The Interceptor, among other things, seeks to protect the major body organs from projectiles originating from sources in front or behind the wearer.
Threats to individual soldiers are developing from non-traditional sources. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) often are called “homemade” devices that are designed to cause death or injury primarily by use of explosives. IEDs can be produced in varying sizes, functioning methods, containers, and delivery methods. IEDs can utilize homemade explosives, or military ordnance and ordnance components. In the current conflict in Iraq, IEDs are accounting for a significant percentage of trauma cases and resulting causalities to coalition forces. The methods to counteract IEDs include eliminating the insurgents or terrorists that create the IEDs, improving the means for detecting and eliminating IEDs prior to detonation, altering the environment where IEDS may be located by, for example, increasing the armor protection of vehicles that may encounter IEDs, and improving the body armor that exposed individuals may wear.
Improvements to the body armor would minimize the effects of IEDs that may detonate, in spite of efforts to eliminate their creation. Injuries from IEDs can occur to the axillary, flank and deltoid body regions. Current body armor designs do not protect these exposed areas sufficiently to minimize the harm caused by IEDs and other threats. There is a need therefore for improved body armor that will protect exposed and vulnerable areas of the body from IEDs and other injury-causing projectiles, while retaining the requisite degree of mobility and dexterity that may be required.